Boat trip and dinner at a restaurant with a view: what is the best way to relax in Yaroslavl?

If you are looking for a city to relax in for the weekend, we know what to recommend. Kolomna and Sergiev Posad are of course closer to the capital, but they have been reviewed by the editor for a long time. Therefore, we are happy to recommend you to go on a wonderful trip to Yaroslavl.

The city was founded in 1010 by Yaroslav the Wise as a fortress to protect the north-eastern borders of Russia. Note that this was the first Christian city on the Volga. In 1238 it was plundered and burned by the Mongol-Tatars, and in 1463 Yaroslavl became part of the Muscovite state.

We will tell and show you the capital of the Golden Ring from different sides – from the first folk theater in Russia, where you are transported to the 18th century, to a new restaurant with a view, showing the history of the city. in a modern manifestation. Let’s not rush, let’s start in order.

Strelka Park, boat and picnic

You can start your acquaintance with Yaroslavl by walking around its surroundings, paying attention to one of its main attractions – Strelka Park. This is where the Kotorosl River flows into the Volga. If you want to get more new emotions, we recommend exploring the city from the water and taking a boat trip. By the way, you can also harmoniously complete it with a picnic at the Admiral yacht club. The river bank, a glass of bubbly, fruits and snacks – what else is needed for a great pastime?

Russian Drama Theatre named after F. Volkov

It is also necessary to be enlightened culturally, and where else can we do this if not at the Fyodor Volkov Drama Theatre, the first national theatre in Russia. At the entrance we are greeted by a bust of an actor, behind which the whole of Yaroslavl is painted on the wall. True, there is glass among the objects. What for? In the evening it turns into a fountain!

If you want to learn more about the history of the theater, we recommend that you take a guide who is also an actor. And he kindly agreed to share his behind-the-scenes secrets with us. Here we learned that the sound engineer was directly behind the audience during the performance to better see what was happening on stage, and that the floor was black for some reason, covered with fire-resistant paint.

Let’s also pay attention to the monitors behind the scenes. Thanks to them, the actors watch the reaction of the audience, and the organizers monitor the positive atmosphere in the hall. We paid attention to the mock-ups located in the corridor of the theater. They are created to show the production designers and directors how the stage should look during a particular performance. You can endlessly tell about the magic hidden from the theater guests, but we will not reveal all the cards, you will see for yourself!

Restaurant “Birukka”

We know what question interests you the most: where to eat? We will say that you are in luck, because this summer, in the very heart of Yaroslavl, the Birukka restaurant opened on the roof. Birukka is a bear in Sanskrit, one of the symbols of Yaroslavl, like the Volga and the fish with which it is rich. By the way, all three of these elements are displayed in the logo of the establishment.

In the project, the creators combined the concept of modernity with the cultural code of the city. It was interesting to learn about the interior of the restaurant. The red color symbolizes Russian passion, and on the tables there are real branches of viburnum. Along the perimeter of Birukka there are columns with white vases depicting Valentina Tereshkova and Fyodor Volkov. And it’s not just like that! Fyodor Volkov, as we know, founded the first folk theater in Russia, and Valentina Tereshkova was born and raised in the Yaroslavl region.

It’s time to talk about the dishes that the editor particularly appreciated. We liked the ideological solutions of chef Nikolai Kuropatkin and one of the most famous chefs of Russia, Andrei Zhdanov. Let’s draw your attention to the beef tartare with a “golden” egg and marbled bull meatballs with truffle. In general, the menu consists of several dozen European dishes, with an emphasis on local and seasonal products.

Photo: “Elizabeth Lesyuk”